Checkmate
by Heroine of the Valley
Summary: Ever wondered what happened when Hermione went to Ron to summon Dumbledore while Harry was with Quirrel? Just one of those 'what if' fics


Disclaimer: J.K Rowling created Harry Potter and all his friends and enemies.  

~…~ Cited from the book. 

**Checkmate **

~"Got it," she said, "The smallest bottle will get us through the black fire--toward the Stone."

Harry looked at the tiny bottle.

"There's only enough for the two of us," he said, "That's hardly one swallow."

They looked at each other.

"Which one will get you back through the purple flames?"

Hermione pointed to a rounded bottle at the right end of the line.

"You drink that," said Harry, "No, listen, get back and get Ron.   Grab brooms from flying-key room, they'll get you out of the trapdoor and past Fluffy--go straight to the owlery and send Hedwig to Dumbledore, we need him.  I might be able to hold him off for a while, but I'm no match for him, really."

"But Harry--what if You-Know-Who's with him?"

"Well--I got lucky once, wasn't I?" said Harry, pointing at his scar.  "I might get lucky again."

Hermione's lip trembled, and she suddenly dashed at Harry and through her arms around him.

"_Hermione!"_

"Harry--you're a great wizard, you know."

"I'm not as god as you," said Harry, very embarrassed, as she let go of him.

"Me!" said Hermione.  "Books! And clever things--friendship and bravery and--oh Harry--be _careful!"_

"You drink first," said Harry.  "You are sure which is which, aren't you?"

"Positive," said Hermione.  She took a long drink from the round bottle at the end, and shuddered.

"It's not poison?" said Harry anxiously.

"No--but it's like ice."

"Quick, go, before it wears off."

"Good luck--take care--"

"GO!"

Hermione turned and walked straight through the purple fire.~

Hermione was absolutely positive which potion was which, still, she felt a bit reluctant to let Harry go.  Harry was just a first year and Snape was an experienced wizard.  Voldemort was a powerful, diabolical monster. However, Hermione was determined to do exactly what Harry told her to do.  But she needed Ron to do it.  She couldn't do it on her own.  After all, he was Harry's friend too and she wouldn't have been able to tell Harry which potion to drink if it weren't for Ron's brave course of action.

'I've got to move quickly,' Hermione thought. 'Every minute is precious.'

When Hermione stepped out of the fire and back onto the giant chessboard.  Ron was still knocked out at the side.  

"Ron!" she cried and knelt down to him. "Ron! Wake up!  Oh please, wake up!"

"Checkmate," he grumbled.  He slowly opened his eyes.  "Hermione?"

"Ron!" she smiled for a moment and she couldn't keep smiling any longer. Her lip trembled and she sniffed.  "Ron, are you all right?  Do you think you can get up?"

"I think so," he groaned and forced himself to sit up, with Hermione pulling on his arm.  He rubbed his head and blinked a few times.  He had a bruise, but he was all right.

"Ron, that was so brave of you," Hermione said and hugged him.  "I thought that you were--" she couldn't finish her sentence and swallowed as she let go of him.  "Well, anyway, I'm glad you're all right."

"Best game of chess I've ever played in my whole life," He grinned and turned to see that the passageway was open. "It worked! Where's Harry?  He--he's through there?"

"Yeah," she replied, "The next thing was Snape's potion."

"Oh no--don't tell me that he--"

"He had to drink a potion to get through the black flame," she said.

"Oh, perfect--"

"Ron!  Don't' worry, I told him which one to drink."

"You certain it was the right one?" Ron demanded, "because if you poisoned Harry--"

"Yes, I'm certain."

"Why did you let him go alone?" 

"Because there wasn't enough for me," she explained growing irritable, "Just Harry.  Listen, we don't have time for this.  We have to get out of here and contact Professor Dumbledore.  Harry is going to fight Snape by himself.  We don't have a lot of time."

"Well, why didn't you say so in the first place?" he snapped.

"Because you were asking me too many questions!" she yelled back, "now come on, Ron, Harry's counting on us."  She stood up and offered Ron her hand.  He felt a little light headed and nearly fell.  He had to lean on Hermione as they went back the way they came.

"Well, what do we do first?" he inquired with a grimace.

"Get brooms from the flying key room," she answered, "and we get past Fluffy."

"Should we sing him asleep if he tries to eat us?"

"Wouldn't hurt."

Ron turned, "You know, I think I'll go see if Harry's okay--"

"Ron!" she gasped and grabbed his arm.  "Come on!  I can't do this without you."  

They walked to the flying key room and picked up brooms.  After which, they flew past Fluffy, with Ron singing a song that his mother would sing when she was cleaning the house.  They flew out the window and to the owlery.

"Now, we need to find Hedwig and send a message to Dumbledore."  Hermione said, looking for her.

"Where is she?" Ron asked.  "If we can't use her, we'll use another owl."

"No, Harry told me to use Hedwig," she snapped.  "Dumbledore will recognize Harry's owl."

Hearing her name, Hedwig flew to Hermione's arm. Hermione smiled and stroked her feathers.

"Here she is," Hermione said to Ron.  

"Good." 

Hedwig sat on the frame as Hermione started her letter:

_"Headmaster Dumbledore,_

_Harry is in trouble.  He is trying to stop Professor Snape and You-Know-Who from stealing the Sorcerer's stone this moment.  We need your help.  Please come to Hogwarts as soon as you can, or it might be too late for Harry._

_Hermione Granger"_

Hermione rolled up the letter and tied it to Hedwig's leg.  "We need you to get this to Headmaster Dumbledore quickly," she said to the owl, "Harry's in danger."

Those three words were all that Hedwig needed for motivation. She opened her wings and flew out of the owlery.  

"You think she'll get to him in time?" Ron asked.

"I hope so," Hermione answered.  

Ron paced.  "Well, now what are we supposed to do?"

"Just wait."

"Wait?  Oh, perfect!" Ron muttered.  "Harry's in a heck of a lot of danger and you're telling me all that we can do to help him is sit here and wait for his owl to find Professor Dumbledore?"

"Professor Dumbledore is the only wizard You-Know-Who fears," Hermione said.

"That's not good enough!" Ron exclaimed, "We have to do _something!_  For all we know, Harry could be--"

"Let's not go there, all right!" Hermione shouted.  "Listen to me, Ron.  I have a feeling Harry will get out of this okay."

"Oh?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because…I just know." She impulsively grasped Ron's hand and gave it a squeeze.  "Harry will be all right.  We have to believe that.  He's on his own now."

Irritated, Ron groaned.  "If anything happens to him…"

Hermione hugged him.  "I'm afraid for Harry too," she said.  "But I just know Harry will get through this all right.  He will."

They stood there in each other's arms, fearing for their friend's safety until Professor Dumbledore came.

"I hope I'm not too late," he said.

"Professor!" Hermione gasped, pulling away from Ron, her cheeks slightly red. Ron cleared his throat.

"Professor, Harry's in the labyrinth," Ron informed.  "We need to help him."

Dumbledore nodded and they lead him through the labyrinth in silence until they made it to the resting place of stone.  They found Harry laying on his back out cold.  Next to his hand was a red stone.

"Harry!" Hermione shouted.  She and Ron went to his aid.

"He'll be all right," Professor Dumbledore said.  

Hermione noticed the sorcerer's stone.  "Professor, is that--is that it?"

"Yes," he picked up the stone.  "It's very powerful.  It can create the elixir of life or turn any metal into cold."

"You'll have to put it somewhere safe so no one can get to it again," Ron said.

"The best thing to do is destroy it," Dumbledore said.

"Destroy it?"

"That way, no one will try to take it."

A few feet away from Harry lay a perished Professor Quirrell.  Ron gasped. 

"Hey, it's Professor Quirrell!" He shouted.  "What is he doing here?  I thought that--"  
"Then it wasn't Snape," Hermione said, "Who would've thought that Professor Quirrell was trying to take the stone?"

"Let's get you all to the hospital wing," Professor Dumbledore said.  "You look like you have a nasty bump on your head, Ron.  What happened?"

"Oh, I got hurt during the chess game."  He said modestly with a shrug.

"He sacrificed himself so that Harry could win," Hermione advised.

"Is that so?" Professor's eyes glinted.  

"Yeah, well," he blushed.  "I had to do something.  And it wasn't all my doing.  Hermione knew how to get through the devil's snare and knew which potion to drink and stuff."

"Harry's very lucky to have you two as friends," Dumbledore said.  "I have a feeling you'll be needing each other for the rest of your years here at Hogwarts."

"Yeah, just incase we have to go through another giant chess set again," Ron said.

Dumbledore smiled and picked up Harry. "Come, there's nothing else to do here."

Ron and Hermione exchanged glances and followed the Headmaster out of the labyrinth.  If they had to do like something every year, they'd be ready.  

**The End**


End file.
